380 



ACROSS AFRICA. 



[Chap. 



September, in advance of tliat of Alvez, and I had just succeeded in open- 



1875. ij^g ^ conversation, when I heard a disturbance suddenly arise, 



and found that Sambo, who was always skylarking and in some 



sort of innocent mischief, had caused it by chaffing an old chief, 



who averred that he had been grievously insulted. 



I inquired into the matter at once with due gravity, although 

 it was difficult to avoid laughing outright at Sambo's comical 

 account of the affair. But the old man could not see the joke, 

 and was so deeply offended that before his pacification could be 

 accomplished I had to part with my viongwa as a present. I 

 owned a small private stock of flour — only sufficient for three 

 or four days — and rice enough for two moi'e, and the men were 

 just as well, or badly, off as myself, and it therefore seemed ex- 

 tremely probable that we should pass some hungry hours before 

 reaching Bihe. 



The marching of the next day was through forest intersect- 

 ed by long glades with streams running through them, those 



--J^y^m. 



OEOSSING A STREAM. 



